Television bandwidth reduction

ABSTRACT

This is a video tape recorder in which an encoder samples equally-spaced luminance information, at a rate of (n+ 1/3 ) timers per horizontal video line, in a stable, recurring pattern that is repeated every 3 lines. Additional parallel sets of data (-Yk) can be sampled by the encoder to partially fill in the information areas between other sets of sampled data. The chrominance signal is processed so that only the red information signal (R-Y) and then the blue information signal (B-Y) are gated alternately on a horizontal video line-by-line basis. The parallel sets of sampled luminance and chrominance signals are recorded on parallel recording tracks along with a pilot signal P. To reconstruct the chrominance signals, the played-back chrominance signals are delayed for one horizontal video line and combined with the nondelayed chrominance signals to obtain a red signal (R-Y), a blue signal (B-Y), and a green signal (G-Y).

United States Patent [721 lnventor RuS llR- La 2,941,032 6/1960 Geiger 178/6.6A Malibu, Calif. 2,969,425 1/1961 Hughes 178/5.4CR [21] Appl. No. 563,763 3,162,838 12/1964 Sauvanet... 178/5.4S 1 1 Filed 126 3,359,364 12/1967 Kihara 178/5.4CR 145} Patented ar. 16, [73] Assignee Hughes Aircraft Company OTHER REFERENCES Culver City Calm Chaste, Cassagne, Colas Sequential Receivers for French Color TV System Electronics May 1960 pp 57- 60 Primary ExaminerRobert L. Griffin [54] TELEVISION BANDWIDTH REDUCTION Assistant Examiner-Joseph A. Orsino, Jr.

4 Clams 32 Drawmg Altorneys-James K. Haskell and Robert Thompson [52] US. Cl l78/5.4, 178/6, 178/66 [51] Int.Cl H04n 5/78, ABSTRACT: This is a video tape recorder in which an en- H04m 9/38 coder samples equally-spaced luminance information, at a [50] Field of Search 178/52, rate of (n+/a) timers per horizontal video line, in a stable, recurring pattern that is repeated every 3 lines. Additional parallel sets of data (Y,,.) can be sampled by the encoder to [56] References C'ted partially fill in the information areas between other sets of UNITED STATES PATENTS sampled data. The chrominance signal is processed so that RE26,412 6/1968 Dolby 178/5.4CR y h red in m ig and then the blue n r- 3,255,303 6/1966 Kihara 178/5.4CR mation signal (B-Y) are gated alternately on a horizontal 3,267,211 8/1966 Melchior,, 178/543 video line-by-line basis. The parallel sets of sampled lu- 2,824,904 2/1958 Toulon 178/6BWR minance and chrominance signals are recorded on parallel 3,128,338 4/ 1964 Teacher 178/6BWR recording tracks along with a pilot signal P. To reconstruct the 2,678,348 5/ 1954 Ballard 178/52 chrominance signals, the played-back chrominance signals are 2,810,780 10/1957 Loughlin 178/52 delayed for one horizontal video line and combined with the 2,836,651 5/ 1958 Joh 178/6,6A nondelayed chrominance signals to obtain a red signal (R-Y), 2,892,017 6/1959 Houghton 178/54CR a blue ig (B n a green Signal VideoaGute Y|) 23 34 Box Car Det. 34 (Y) Video a f Gate gnd 3 29 T VideoaGote (Y lnv. egas Q I I Box Car Det 3G I 22 rh L Video I54 Gm Gate W "I W! 1 1 Or (R-Yl/ (B-Yl I56 Gate I38 (B Y) 2 \gdeeo B B A A P/S Mix s 1 1p 56 53 F F g; s c a P Tri 2 T Train Gen. Trcun Gen.

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1. In a system for reducing the bandwidth of a received television signal having luminance and chrominance signals the combination comprising: means responsive to a base frequency signal in the received television signal for generating first parallel sets of phase staggered gating signals, a second set of gating signals, and a pilot signal all derived from the same oscillator and each occurring at separate equally-spaced time intervals; sampler means having a plurality of gating channel means all coupled to receive the luminance signal and each coupled to receive an individual one of the first parallel sets of gating signals for sequentially gating separate portions of the received luminance signal at a rate of (n+ ) time per horizontal video line, where n is an integer, such that select evenly-spaced luminance information is sampled in a stable pattern that recurs every 3 video lines, the sampled information patterns selectively gated by the individual ones of said gating channel means being positioned symmetrically relative to one another and evenly spaced between the preceding and subsequent sequential samples; gate means coupled to receive the chrominance signals and being responsive to the second set of gating signals for alternately conducting only the red and the blue individual color signals of three color signals of the received television signal during equal time durations of one horizontal video line; and means for conducting in parallel and in time base synchronism with one another the sampled information patterns of each individual one of said gating channel means on individual channels, the red and the blue color signal on an individual channel, and the pilot signal on an individual channel.
 2. In a television system of the type in which the video signal is received on parallel channels wherein the luminance signal is carried on a plurality of said channels wherein the luminance information of each channel is positioned in time between the luminance information of another channel and in time-base synchronism therewith, in which the chrominance signal is received on a channel means as a first color signal and a second color signal in alternating horizontal video line sequence, and in which a base frequency signal is carried on another parallel channel, the combination comprising: means responsive to the base frequency of the video signal for generating gating signals at select equally-spaced time intervals; means including a plurality of parallel gate means each coupled to receive an individual one of the channels of video information and being responsive to the gating signals for sequentially conducting at equally-spaced time intervals, at a rate of (n+ 1/3 ) times per horizontal video line, the luminance information on the individual channels and combining the plurality of channels of luminance information into a single channel of luminance information; means responsive to a base frequency of the video signal for generating color gating signals at select, equally-spaced time intervals; delay means coupled to receive the color signals for delaying the color signals for the duration of one horizontal video line; and means including a switching means having a plurality of output terminals, said switching means being coupled to receive the color signals from the channel means and the color signals from said delay means and being responsive to the color gating signals for conducting the first one of the color signals always to a first one of said plurality of output terminals, conducting the second one of the color signals always to a second one of said plurality of output terminals and for combining a nondelayed color signal of one color with a delayed color signal of the other color into a third color signal and conducting the third color signal to a third one of said plurality of output terminals.
 3. The combination of claim 2 in which the first color signal is a red color signal, the second color signal is a blue color signal, and the third color signal is a green color signal.
 4. The combination of claim 3 further including a recorder means having a plurality of parallel recording channels, select ones of said plurality of parallel recording chaNnels being operable to play back the luminance information recorded thereon, another of said plurality of parallel recording channels being operable to play back the chrominance signal recorded thereon, and another of said plurality of recording channels being operable to play back a base frequency signal recorded thereon. 